Apologies
by Elle09
Summary: Sixteen years ago a group of friends were torn apart because of a secret. Haley James hasn't been back to Tree Hill for sixteen years, but now she's back to right some wrongs and try to salvage the friendships that were destroyed. Naley, Brucas, Jeyton.
1. Chapter 1: Return to Tree Hill

**Hi everyone! I haven't read a lot of OTH fics, so hopefully this story is somewhat original. It starts with Haley moving back to Tree Hill with her son after her husband died. The fic is going to be Naley, Brucas, Jeyton and Jenny/Junior (Haley's son). There are a lot of secrets that are going to be uncovered, not just for Naley but Brucas as well... probably not Jeyton. They're going to be the "resident problem free couple". None of the parents are in the story, other than in passing. Haley, Lucas, Nathan, Brooke, Peyton, Jake, and Anthony (new character) were a close knit group of friends until something happened at the end of high school to tear them apart. Flashbacks are in italics. Ummm... I think that's all. Thanks for reading! :)**

_**Chapter One: A Return To Tree Hill**_

Haley James-Jaglieski glanced in her rearview mirror at her sleeping son. At 15 years old he was incredibly handsome, athletic, and an all around great kid. She turned her gaze to the passenger seat that should have been occupied by her husband of 16 years, but was greeted with an empty seat that left an aching in her heart.

The loss of her husband was still fresh in her mind and her heart. They'd been good friends since high school and when she'd found out about the pregnancy, towards the end of their senior year, it was Anthony Jaglieski who'd stepped up to the plate and was her guardian angel. On the surface, it seemed like they had a fairytale romance, but below it contained the real story. And it was anything but a fairytale.

Haley and Anthony did love each other, there was no denying that fact, but it wasn't always that way - at least on Haley's part. What no one knew, except the two, was their son wasn't actually Anthony's, but was Nathan Scott's, Haley's former boyfriend and Anthony's former best friend.

No one could have predicted the events that took place that led to this point, nor could they change them. She'd come back home to make things right - something Anthony had encouraged from the beginning.

The day Haley had found out she was pregnant was the same day Nathan had broken up with her, claiming to want to focus on his basketball career, which, he explained wouldn't have been fair to her. She knew how much basketball meant to Nathan so she agreed and walked away, never telling him about the baby growing inside of her.

Somehow, she ended up at Anthony's and relayed the story - pregnancy and all. It all happened so fast; one minute she was crying, confused about what to do, and the next Anthony was proposing to her and offering a father for her baby. Haley didn't know why, considering she was still in love with Nathan, but she said yes. With graduation two weeks away, they decided they would drive to Charlotte and get married the day before graduation to make it seem possible that the baby Haley was carrying was Anthony's.

Haley's mind wandered back to the morning of the graduation ceremony.

--

_Anthony grabbed Haley's hand and kissed her golden wedding band. It was a small band that Anthony bought in Charlotte. He promised that he would replace the ring with something nicer someday, but Haley wouldn't hear of it._

"_You alright?" Anthony asked. She'd been quiet on the drive back, claiming that she was nervous about her graduation speech, but Anthony knew better. He knew that she was scared of what their friends were going to say - especially Nathan._

_They entered the school holding hands, which seemed to make everyone stop and stare at them with looks of shock and confusion. Everyone knew that Haley James and Nathan Scott were dating and couldn't help but wonder what she was doing holding hands with his best friend. _

_They reached their lockers, which were in the same area as all their other friends and sighed in relief that none of them were there. Brooke Davis was the first to arrive. If she had found Haley and Anthony hold hands to be strange, she didn't let on._

"_Tutor girl! Twin One! I can't believe they're forcing us to come to school on graduation. I mean, we've taken our finals, all passed, what the hell do we need to do today?!" She complained using the nicknames she had given them. Brooke dubbed Haley tutor girl because she tutored all through high school, but Anthony's nickname was a little different. He wasn't a twin, but his parents died when he was five and Jake's parents, who were Anthony's aunt and uncle took him in. Jake and Anthony had become like brothers and since their birthday's were less than a month apart, Anthony being the older of the two Brooke decided they were practically twins._

"_I don't know Tigger," Haley said smiling at her friend, using Brooke's nickname that she started. "Maybe because we need to practice our graduation walk."_

"_How hard is it to walk? We do it everyday," Brooke whined._

_Anthony laughed at Brooke's antics. There was never a dull moment with Brooke around. "Think about it this way. Maybe this is one last chance to be together before we all go off."_

_Brooke turned to Anthony with tears shining in her eyes. He cursed under his breath because he'd forgotten how emotional Brooke got with graduation. One minute she would be complaining about wanting to get the hell out of Tree Hill High, the next she would be bawling, not wanting to leave. "Aw Tigs, I'm sorry," he said enveloping her in a hug._

_Brooke sniffled and accepted the hug. "It's alright. I mean, I'm going to miss Tree Hill, but we're all practically going to be together next year. You, Luke, Nathan, and Hales are going to be at Duke, and Jake, Peyton and I are going to be_ _UNC," Brooke said winking at Haley at the use of proper grammar. _

_Haley had forever been correcting her friends at the use of proper grammar and it made her smile to see that Brooke had actually listened and learned something from Haley's corrections. "Where's Luke and everyone else?" Haley asked._

"_Um, Broody's picking Hot Shot up. P. Sawyer's having breakfast with Hot Papa S. And Twin Two is MIA as usual," Brooke replied using all the nicknames that she single handedly assigned. Broody was Lucas, because as she put was a brooder before she came and rescued him. Hot Shot was Nathan, because he thought he was Hot Shit, but she would get in trouble when she said 'shit'. P. Saw_y_er was Peyton. Peyton always felt she got the short end of the deal with the nicknames, but when Brooke suggested others - bitch, backstabbing whore, and cheater among them - she gladly accepted P. Sawyer. And Twin Two was Jake._

_Peyton and Brooke had come a long way in their friendship. They'd been friends since kindergarten and out of all seven of them, used to be the closest. Their friendship changed due to one boy - Lucas Scott._

_This was Lucas and Brooke's second try at a relationship and they were both determined to make things work. Their first time around had began and ended badly. They gravitated towards each other because both were looking for fun and nothing serious. Unfortunately, love had come into play. Brooke found herself falling in love with Lucas, while he found himself falling for her best friend Peyton, who reciprocated those feelings. The situation ended badly. Lucas and Peyton thought they could go behind Brooke's back and wait for Brooke to lose interest in Lucas, but Brooke never did. Eventually, Brooke found out about their relationship and ended things with Lucas and also ended her friendship with Peyton._

_Peyton and Lucas genuinely tried to make their relationship work, but it was just so hard when the constant reminder of what their being together cost them - Brooke's friendship. In the end, Lucas and Peyton ended their relationship as friends and both tried to mend the rifts their actions caused. Their relationship not only affected Brooke, but it also affected Nathan, Haley, Anthony and Jake. Nathan surprisingly defended Brooke and was angry with Lucas and Peyton, something no one understood. Haley tried to understand Lucas and Peyton's side but couldn't. She didn't condone what they had done, and told them that fact, but didn't go as far as to cut them completely out of her life. Maintaining a friendship with them was hard because Nathan took it upon himself to hang out with Brooke, and since Haley and Nathan were together, meant that she was also spending a lot of time with Brooke. Not that Haley complained. She was glad for the time she got to spend with her because out of the seven, they were probably the two that were not close at all. Anthony was closer to Peyton so he naturally took Peyton and Lucas's side. Jake decided not to get involved and distanced himself from everyone._

_It took Lucas, Peyton, and Brooke about a year to rebuild their broken friendships, but they managed. Peyton and Brooke knew it would never be the same, but they made an honest effort to try to be as good of friends as they could be. By the time Lucas and Brooke had become friends again, he had found himself falling for her. She took him back and they started their senior year together and were still going strong. Brooke may have forgiven both of them, but in her heart, she would never let either of them all the way in because it literally broke her the first time she did. _

_Anthony glanced at Haley, who had suddenly gripped his hand tightly. She was staring down the hallway looking a little pale. He followed Haley's line of sight and saw what had her so spooked. Nathan had just entered the school and was talking to a group of basketball players, oblivious to Haley's burning stare._ _"Listen Brooke, can you do us a favor? Get everyone to the Rivercourt after graduation. We have something to tell everyone," Anthony said._

"_Um... Ok," Brooke said skeptically. "I'm not sure about Jake though. That boy's hard to get a hold of."_

"_I'll take care of Jake," Anthony said. "Just make sure everyone's there." He pulled at Haley's hand and led her out of the school. He'd read in one of the pregnancy books he bought that stress was harmful for the baby so he decided to get her the hell out of the there._

_When they got inside his car, he turned to her concerned. "You okay?" He asked rubbing her arm comfortingly._

"_I can't do this," Haley whispered brokenly. "I'm only 18. You're only 18. We can't do this. This baby isn't even yours. You shouldn't do this Anthony." She broke down for the first time since Nathan broke up with her. Anthony gathered her in his arms and held her as she cried._

"_I'm going to be here for you Haley," he whispered into her ear. "Whatever you need, whatever you choose to do, I'm going to be here. I'll always be here for you."_

_Haley stared into his eyes and smiled her first genuine smile she had in the past month. "You're too good for me. You're too good for this," she said pointing to slim stomach._

"_You're too good to do this on your own. And I offered," he said reassuringly. "You should really tell Nathan about the baby Hales."_

"_No," Haley replied adamantly. "He can't know this baby is his. No one can."_

_Anthony nodded his head, accepting her decision. There was nothing else he could do really. He'd been trying to convince Haley to tell Nathan - convince her that he would prove the great guy he was and be there for her - but Haley would always say no. He had a feeling she was worried she might end up like Deb, Nathan's mom, or Karen, Lucas's mom._

_Karen Roe got pregnant with Lucas at the end of her senior year, and when she told her then boyfriend Dan Scott about the baby he broke up with her and walked out of her life. He went off to college where he met and dated Deb Lee. Three months after meeting, Deb fell pregnant as well. Dan decided to marry Deb and they moved back to Tree Hill, where a very pregnant Karen still lived. Life had been hell for both Lucas, Karen and Dan's son, and Nathan, Deb and Dan's son. Lucas, because of the whispers about his mother and him around town, and Nathan because of the pressure Dan placed on his shoulders._

"_He's not like that you know," Anthony said._

"_I never said he was," Haley said knowing it was a reference to Dan Scott. "He just can't know ok?"_

_Anthony dropped the subject knowing there was nothing he could do to change her mind. Haley was one of the strongest and stubbornest person he'd known. This was her decision and she was sticking to it. They left the school to grab a bite to eat and returned in time for the graduation ceremony that afternoon._

_Haley, being the valedictorian of that year, sat on stage facing her peers. She fidgeted nervously as she prepared to make her speech. She had spent the last two months writing and rewriting her speech and as she looked down at her cards, the words suddenly had no meaning to her. She sought out her friends faces who all gave their thumbs up and encouraging smiles. She looked at Nathan and with just one smile, all the anticipation, nervousness and problems just seemed to float away along with everyone else. Principal Green's speech about one door opening while another closes sounded distant and muddled and the people around her seemed to vanish. It was just her and Nathan in that moment. She was jolted out of her reverie by the person next to her nudging her._

_Haley walked up to the podium and placed her cue cards on the stand. She looked down at the words and turned them over. She chuckled nervously. "I had a speech prepared, but I'm not going to say it. Everything I had to say was some cliche about high school ending that we've all heard."_

_The crowd laughed with her and she took a deep breath. She once again sought out Nathan and found him staring at her. She kept eye contact with him, and it almost seemed as if she was just talking to him. "We live in a small town, and for most of us, we've been going to school together for the past 13 years. We may not have known each other, but we've always been together. We formed relationship and friendships, that through thick and thin will hopefully stay strong with all we face. We're leaving the past behind us and looking to the future. We're going to make mistakes and learn from them. We will hurt people," she said tearfully, " and they'll hurt us, but hopefully we'll all learn to forgive._

"_Life isn't perfect. There are going to be times when you feel alone and broken." Haley broke her eye contact with Nathan and found Anthony in the crowd. She smiled at him through her tears. "But as long as you have just __**one**__ person, everything'll be alright. Congratulations class of 2006. I wish you all the best of luck in whatever you choose to do."_

_Scattered applause broke out as Haley took her seat. They all knew Haley and knew that her speech wasn't her. Nathan, Lucas, Brooke, Peyton, and Jake all looked at Haley, wondering where the hell that speech came from._

_After all the pictures and family dinners, the group of seven met at the River Court. _

"_What are we doing here?" Jake asked impatiently._

"_We have some news," Anthony said grabbing Haley's hand. He took a deep breath and began, "I'm going to UCLA."_

"_What?" Peyton said, the hurt evident in her voice. "Why? I thought - you - we were all going to stay together."_

"_I'm moving to California too," Haley said, purposely leaving out the school of her choice. She'd decided to defer school until after the baby was born._

"_What?" This time it was Lucas. "This wasn't part of the plan. What's gotten into you? Is this because Nathan broke up with you?" Lucas finally realized that they were holding hands and his confusion turned to anger. "Are you two together or something?"_

_Haley shut her eyes and nodded her head. Lucas and Brooke seemed to be the most shocked and angry, or they may just have been the most vocal about it. Peyton and Jake were quiet, but their facial expressions gave nothing away. Haley couldn't tell whether they were angry, or unconcerned. She looked to Nathan and found him staring at her. Anyone else would have seen an indifferent Nathan, but she knew better. She knew he was hurt._

"_You're fucking unbelievable you know that?" Lucas said to Anthony. "You're supposed to be his best friend!"_

"_I am his best friend." Anthony dropped Haley's hand and turned to Nathan and took a step towards him. Nathan looked at him and felt like he'd been kicked in the gut. "I am your best friend," Anthony said._

_Nathan clenched his fists, trying to calm himself. He wanted to yell at him or punch him, but he couldn't. He couldn't speak and he couldn't move._

"_We got married," Haley blurted out, not wanting to deal with the tension._

"_What the fuck?" Lucas asked angrily. He turned to his brother to see if he was alright but was greeted with a stoic Nathan, who was staring at Haley._

"_What the hell Tutor Slut?!" Brooke demanded. "He still loves you!"_

"_Don't talk to her like that," Anthony said pushing Haley behind his back to protect her. "If you want to be angry at someone, be angry at me."_

"_What the hell were you thinking? Why would you go after Nathan's girlfriend right after he broke up with her? What kind of friend are you?" Lucas accused._

"_It wasn't like that," Anthony pleaded. With all the arguments going on, no one had noticed Nathan slip away from the group, nor did they notice Haley follow after him._

"_Nate," she called out._

"_Don't call me that," he whispered painfully. "You don't get to call me that anymore."_

"_I'm sorry," she said sadly._

"_You're sorry? You marry my best friend and all you can say is you're sorry?" Nathan asked angrily._

"_You broke up with me okay? You don't get to be angry at me anymore. You don't get to judge me."_

"_You're right," Nathan said. "I broke up with you. And you know what? It was probably the best move I've ever made. Have a nice life __**Mrs. Jaglieski**__." With that said he walked away from her for good. Haley knew what it meant. It meant Nathan was cutting her, their child, and Anthony our of his life._

_Haley stood staring after Nathan's retreating form, but was interrupted by the shouting coming from the others. She turned to where they were just in time to see Lucas punch Anthony._

"_How could you do that to him?" Lucas asked, disgusted with Anthony. "You know he loves her."_

"_Really? He loves her Luke? He loves her so much that he can't put her above his precious basketball?" Anthony said._

_Brooke, who was standing by Lucas, scoffed at Anthony. "You two can have each other. As far as I'm concerned you deserve each other. I'm done with the both of you," Brooke said and angrily walked away._

"_Luke?" Haley said questioningly. They had been best friends since they were three and she could understand how difficult this was for him. A large part of her wished he would take her in his arms, like he did when they were younger, and scare the monsters away._

"_I can't Haley," Lucas said sadly. It was killing him, but he couldn't understand it. He couldn't understand what she was doing with Anthony, and couldn't understand how they could do that to Nathan. He shook his head and ran after his girlfriend. The only ones left were Jake and Peyton, who had remained silent through the whole ordeal._

"_I though he was your best friend Anth," Jake said breaking the silence._

"_Don't judge me," Anthony shot back. "You don't know anything about us," he said referring to the group of friends that Jake was never really close with. Peyton and Brooke had been best friends practically forever, as had Lucas and Haley and Anthony and Nathan. They all used to joke that Jake was the seventh wheel and it never really bothered him._

_Jake chuckled sadly. "You're right. I'm __**not **__a part of you guys. I don't even know why I'm here."_

_Anthony sighed. "I didn't mean it like that."_

_Jake ignored his cousin's comment. "Welcome to the family Hales."_ _He turned and walked away from his cousin._

"_Are you happy?" Peyton asked Anthony honestly, genuinely curious with his answer._

_Anthony nodded his head dropping his gaze to his and Haley, who was standing a bit away from them. He engulfed Peyton in a hug and whispered in her ear. "You can't help who you love."_

_Peyton nodded in understanding and went to hug Haley. The two cried with each other, knowing that this was probably going to be the last time they saw each other._

_--_

Haley was jolted back to the present when she heard her son groan.

"I'm freaking starving," he proclaimed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Seriously?" Haley asked in amusement. "You wake up and your first thoughts are food?"

"No. My first thoughts were how much I hate road trips. _Then_ I thought about how hungry I was."

Haley chuckled. He was such a wise ass sometimes. "What are you in the mood for?" Haley asked.

"A steak," he replied. "And potatoes. A lobster would be good too."

"How about a cheeseburger, fries, and _you_ get a job to buy your own lobsters," Haley joked.

He heaved a mock sigh. "I guess. Want me to drive Ma?" he asked.

Haley let out a loud laugh. "That would be a big fat NO. There's no way in hell I'm going to let you drive on the highway. But if you really want to, I'll let you drive when we get to Tree Hill."

"_Crap_ Hill's like a block long. Where the hell am I going to drive to? The corner and back?"

"Hey! Language," Haley scolded.

"_You_ said hell first!" He cried out.

"Do as I say, not as I do," Haley snipped back jokingly. "And _Tree_ Hill's not so bad. Your Dad and I grew up there. And we turned out pretty damn fantastic if you ask me." Haley was shocked to hear silence come from the backseat and not some snarky comeback. She glanced in the rearview and saw his jaw was clenched and his Adam's apple bob up and down as he tried to swallow his tears. "It's okay to miss him you know?"

"I know," he mumbled in response.

"He'd be proud of you. Making a big move, leaving behind everything you've every known."

"I know."

"He loved you so much," Haley whispered with tears in her eyes. She looked in hear rearview again and saw him tilt his head back to try and stop the tears from falling. It killed her to see her son hurting so much.

"I'm not so hungry anymore Mom," he said in such a small voice that he sounded ten years younger than he was. "And I'm tired. Do you mind if I go back to sleep?"

Haley smiled sadly. He still wasn't ready to talk about Anthony. "Sure. I'll wake you up when we get to Tree Hill."

After a couple of minutes of silence, Haley turned her iPod on to fill the silence. As luck would have it, the song playing was her and Nathan's song.

_**You need a friend  
**__**I'll be around  
**__**Don't let this end  
**__**Before I see you again**_

_A week after Haley and Anthony's announcement, she found herself in front of Nathan's house. She had been standing there for ten minutes trying to summon the courage to know on his front door._

"_What are you doing here?" Nathan asked with hostility in his voice. He'd been watching her stand in front of his house from the moment she arrived._

"_We need to talk. Can I come in?" she asked._

_Nathan folded his arms across his chest and blocked the doorway with his body. "No," he said. "We can talk out here."_

_**What can I say  
**__**To convince you to change your mind?**_

"_I'm sorry Nathan," she whispered as the tears fell from her eyes. "I'm so so sorry."_

_Nathan wanted to take her into his arms as she stood in front of him sobbing, but he couldn't. She made her choice and it wasn't him. It wasn't his job to protect her, or comfort her when she cried. Not anymore._

"_Is that all?" he said as if her tears hadn't affected him._

_**I'm gonna love you more than anyone  
**__**I'm gonna hold you closer than before  
**__**And when I kiss your body be free  
**__**I'll be free for you anytime  
**__**I'm gonna love you more than anyone**_

_Haley was taken aback at the coldness in his voice. She knew he was going to be angry. Hell, if the situation were reversed she'd be livid, but it didn't make it hurt any less. All she could do was nod. She saw him turn into his house, but before he could close the door he turned back to face her._

"_I loved you," Nathan said angrily. "I know I broke up with you but I loved - __**love**__ you."_

"_Nathan, I still love you too!" Haley cried._

"_So why?" he asked brokenly. For the first time he stopped hiding behind his anger and let out his sadness. "Why did you marry Anthony?"_

_Haley took a deep breath and stared at him. Tears were rapidly streaming down her face and she knew that this would kill any chance she had at mending Anthony and Nathan's friendship, and also hers and Nathan's. "I'm pregnant," she whispered. She hung her head in shame, not wanting to see the hurt in his eyes. A second later she was startled by the loud boom of the door slamming in her face._

_Haley sadly left Nathan's. she knew the choices she made had affected everyone, especially Nathan and Anthony, but there was no turning back now. She knew the bonds of the once strong, almost invincible group of friends had been broken and things were never going to be the same._

_--_

As if some cruel joke, the next song that randomly played was the song that reminded Haley of Anthony and the beginning of their relationship.

--

_**I've been awake for awhile now  
**__**You got me feeling like a child now**_

_Haley woke up in the middle of the night and felt a hand on her stomach._

"_Your Mom is a such a great person little one. I know she's going to be great," Anthony said to the rounded baby bump._

_Haley had been in her seventh month. A month after graduation Haley and Anthony had moved to L.A. where Anthony received a partial academic scholarship to UCLA. Haley's parents had been supportive of Haley and Anthony's marriage. They'd been disappointed that Haley had gotten pregnant, but they hid it well. Anthony's Uncle and Aunt had been somewhat supportive. They loved Anthony like he was their son, be they had also know how close Anthony and Nathan had been growing up and couldn't understand what went wrong. There hadn't been much communication between Anthony and his surrogate parents, and that made Haley feel even worse about the situation._

"_When you get older kiddo, you're going to learn some things that are going to upset and confuse you, but I just want you to know that I love you, and I'm going to try and be the best substitute dad I can be for you."_

_**Cuz everytime I see your bubbly face  
**__**I get the tingles in a silly place  
**__**It starts in my toes makes me crinkle my nose  
**__**Wherever it goes I always know**_

_Haley silently cried. Here, she had this amazing guy that sacrificed __**everything**__ for her. She felt selfish. Anthony had never given her a reason to believe that he was resentful towards her, but she couldn't help but feel that he did._

_Anthony dropped a kiss on her belly like he had done many times before. When he had trouble sleeping, he found comfort in talking to the little baby growing inside Haley's stomach._

_Haley felt the warmth of Anthony's lips on her stomach all through her body. She felt an odd fluttering in her heart - something she hadn't felt in awhile. A second later she felt a small jab coming from inside her stomach._

"_Ow," she moaned._

"_Hales? Are you ok? Is it the baby? Should I call an ambulance?" Anthony asked frantically._

"_No, nothing's wrong," Haley assured. She turned the lamp on and smiled brightly at Anthony. She grabbed his hand and placed it back on her stomach. The baby responded and kicked once more._

"_Is that?" Anthony asked excitedly._

_**Cuz you make smile please stay for awhile now  
**__**Just take your time wherever you go**_

_Haley nodded, smiling brightly as the happiness from sharing the special moment with Anthony coursed through her. _

"_That's amazing!" Anthony exclaimed._

_Haley happily nodded. "He?" she asked with amusement. "I have a feeling it's a boy as well and I think __**he**__ was responding to your voice."_

_Anthony ducked his head shyly. "Um... you heard? I tried to be quiet. Sorry."_

"_It's alright," she said sincerely. "He obviously loved it."_

_Anthony removed his had from her stomach and stood up. "I'm just going to go to my room now and let you get some sleep."_

_Haley grabbed his hand, stopping him from leaving the room. "Do you think you can... um... stay with me? Here? It's a pretty big bed."_

"_Are you sure?" Anthony asked. _

"_Yeah," Haley said. _

_Anthony's heart swelled at Haley's words. He slipped under the covers and lay on his back staring at the ceiling. Haley turned the lamp off and lay on her back. Neither said anything for awhile, but both were wide away and uncomfortable._

"_Why'd you do it?" Haley asked. The question had been bothering her for awhile and she finally had the courage to ask it._

"_Do what?" Anthony asked turning to his side. He propped his head on his hand to get a better look at her. He saw tears sliding down her face and used his other hand to wipe them away._

"_Lose everything for me and a baby that isn't yours?"_

_He wanted so badly to tel her that he loved her and always had, but he couldn't. He couldn't do that to her, not when she had so much going on. She was already confused and still adjusting to life in L.A. "Because you're my friend and you needed me," he said simply._

"_But you lost everyone."_

"_I still have you," he said sincerely._

_Again, Haley felt a little flutter in her heart. She made the decision right there that she would let Nathan go completely and focus on her life. In letting Nathan go from her heart, she opened it up to the possibility of something more with Anthony and that thought made her smile. She turned on her side and mimicked Anthony's position. "We have each other. And we're a family."_

_--_

Haley drove for the next hour, memories of her and Anthony's life floating back to her. They'd got off to a rocky start, but in the end, they'd both found love in each other. It wasn't until four months after she'd give birth to her son that she realized the growing love she had for Anthony. Love that wasn't out of obligation, gratitude, or friendship. From then on they dated and had a real marriage and a real family.

Haley exited the highway and parked at the gas station off the highway. She light shook her son to wake him. "Hey, wake up."

"Huh?" he replied sleepily.

"We're here. Do you still want to drive?"

The suggestion of driving woke him up. He unbuckled his seatbelt and took a seat behind the wheel. Haley took a seat in the passenger's seat. She gave him turn by turn directions noticing how Tree Hill hadn't changed much in 16 years. They passed the River Court and Haley's heart ached as she remember all the times she, Brooke, and Peyton would watch Jake, Anthony, Nathan, and Lucas play two-on-two. They passed the small movie theater where she and Nathan had their first date. As they passed Karen's Café, she saw a dark haired girl waiting tables, something she had done when she was 15.

They finally reached Haley's childhood home. Her parents had decided to buy an RV and tour the country last year. They couldn't bear to part with the house that at one point was a roof for five children and two parents, so they kept it. When Haley made the decision to move back to Tree Hill after Anthony died, they gave the house to her.

"This is where you lived?" her son asked.

"Yup. This is where all the scars me, your Aunts Taylor, Quinn, and your Uncles David and Jason all grew up."

"Cool," he responded nodding. Out of all her brothers and sisters, her son had formed a close bond with Taylor. When Haley and Anthony first moved to L.A., the only person they knew was Taylor, who had been living there since she graduated high school two years earlier. Taylor had been a godsend, finding them a reasonably priced place to live, and offering her babysitting services once the baby came.

"Hey, why don't you go to that café we passed on our way here and I'll meet you there once I get the car unloaded," Haley suggested. He hadn't eaten since last night and he was probably starving.

"Karen's?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's open til 12, so you should be fine. I won't be long. Go," Haley said all but pushing him towards the street. "Wait!"

"Yeah Mom?" he said turning to face her.

"I know this is going to sound weird, but... um... could you just... you know... um, could we just call you 'Junior' while we're here? It's just, I know it's stupid, but your name's probably going to bring up some question and you shouldn't have to deal with that right now. Just for awhile, I promise. Besides, you used to go by Junior when you were younger so it's not too big of a deal is it?"

"Alright," Junior said skeptically. "I'll go by Junior than. Do you mind if I order when I get there? I'm starving."

"Go ahead. I promise I'll try to get there as soon as I can."

Haley began unloading their suitcases. They had brought the necessities, and the rest of their thing were going to be shipped next week. Once she unloaded the car she locked the door, unaware of the man standing behind her. She turned around and nearly jumped a foot back. "Holy shit."

"Hi," Lucas said staring at Haley.

"Lucas," Haley replied, uncomfortable at his gaze.

"Mom told me one of the James kids was moving back here. She thought it was Quinn, I thought it was Taylor." He'd gone to the house with the hope that it _was_ Haley who had moved back, but he would never tell anyone that. God he missed her. Lucas continued to stare at her. Maybe it was because she was actually here. Or maybe it was because he thought he was dreaming. Or maybe he was scared that if he blinked, or looked away from her she would disappear like she did 16 years ago.

"Yeah," Haley said awkwardly looking down. It was unnerving her to have Lucas staring at her so intently. Haley took a tentative step towards Lucas but Lucas shook his head a took a step back.

"I can't do this," he said. He was so overwhelmed by seeing her. He wanted to grab her in his arms and hug her. Hug her to try and make up for those lost year. But a part of him, the bigger part was still mad at her; still hated what she did. Still blamed her for what happened. "I can't. You can't come back here and expect me, expect any of us to forget what you and Anthony did."

Haley hung her head. She didn't know what to expect from Lucas. But she was expecting, or hoping, that they could move past it. "It's been 16 years Lucas."

"Yeah, and you can't just come back home and think your both going to be instantly forgiven. That we're all going to forget what you two did!"

"I didn't think that anyone was going to forget! I just thought... I thought you and I were best friends."

"We were Haley. But he's my brother. And you... you slept with his best friend!"

"We were best friends long before you and Nathan were brothers," Haley whispered sadly.

"Yeah, and so were Nathan and Anthony. He got married you know. Sophomore year in college. Guess you didn't mean that much to him." Lucas, obviously trying to hurt her, conveniently left out the fact that it was a drunken marriage that lasted less than a week.

"So that's how it's going to be huh?" Haley asked. "Purposely trying to hurt me?"

"Can't take the truth Haley? I mean, you _did_ sleep with and marry his best friend a week after he broke up with you. Tell me something. Did Nathan mean anything to you?"

"You know that I loved him Lucas. Don't you dare say I didn't love him," Haley said angrily.

"I don't know Haley. Sleeping with his best friend doesn't scream 'I love you'. Speaking of Anthony. Where is the backstabbing bastard?" Lucas asked viciously.

Haley mustered all the strength she could not to break down. "He's dead," she spat out just as viciously.

"What?" Lucas asked crestfallenly. "He's..."

"He's dead Lucas. Guess _you_ won't have to deal with seeing the 'backstabbing bastard'."

Lucas stepped forward to offer Haley a hug... something to let her know he was sorry, but she stepped back. "No," she said. "You don't get to feel sorry. Not after making it obvious that you're _still _angry for what happened. 16 years didn't make a difference why should Anthony's death right?"

"I didn't know Hales," he whispered using her childhood nickname.

The nickname didn't go unnoticed by Haley. When she first saw him it would have been a welcome endearment, but not now. "Of you course you didn't know Lucas. How could you? _You_ cut us out of your lives. We sent postcards, Christmas cards, birthday cards! And you know what we got back? Nothing. So you don't get to feel sad that he's dead. Because you cut us... you cut _him_ out of your life a long time ago."

Having said her peace, Haley got in her car and drove to Karen's without looking back to see Lucas's reaction.

--

A pretty dark brown haired girl greeted Junior as he walked into Karen's Café. "Welcome to Karen's Would you like a table or a seat at the counter?"

"Um, a table," he said.

"Did you want to start with something to drink?" the girl asked when he sat down. She got a better look at him and was taken aback at the intensity of his blue eyes. They were gorgeous, but there was something so familiar about his eyes that she couldn't quite place. He stared back at her and she blushed.

"Um, a coke is fine," Junior said. She turned to walk away, but he called out to her before she could get too far. "I'm Junior by the way."

"Ouch," she said wincing.

"Huh?"

"Well, your name. It's Junior, meaning you were named _after_ someone, which means you're forever going to be living in someone else's shadow, constantly being compared to them," she said as if she knew exactly how it was.

"Is there a senior _you_ running around?" Junior asked, his voice light. He noticed her slight drawl and found it endearing. A welcome change from the 'Like, oh my god's' he was accustomed from the California high school cheerleaders.

"Sort of. There _is_ a Nikki running around - my mother. My name's Jennifer Nicole and my mother's not exactly Tree Hill's sweetheart," she explained.

"So how do _you_ deal with it Jennifer Nicole?" Junior asked.

"Jenny," she replied correction him. "I don't let it get to my head. She may be my mother, but no two people, even identical twins, are exactly alike. And I'm _nothing_ like her. I try and go out of my way to be the opposite of her."

"So would that make you Tree Hill's sweetheart?" He couldn't believe he was flirting with her! Yeah, he'd had a couple of girlfriends before, but he's never been one to flirt with someone he'd just met.

"I wouldn't go that far," she said flirting back. She liked him, and hoped that he wasn't just passing through like most of the unfamiliar people that at ate at the café. "I'll get your drink."

Junior watched as she walked away. She looked like he was around his age. She dressed casually wearing jeans, black Chuck Taylor's, and a solid black t-shirt. He thought she looked great.

"Here's your coke." She placed the coke on his table and stood by the table. "So, what brings you to Tree Hill?"

"I just moved here," he replied, forgetting about his hunger.

"Really?"she asked surprised. "So your parents used to live here?"

Junior laughed. "Yeah. How'd you know?"

"Tree Hill's not exactly on the map, you know? Most people who live here have lived here all their lives, and if people move here, it's because they _used_ to live here. And we're not exactly a tourist hot spot."

"Seriously? The only reason I didn't fight too hard when I heard we were moving here was because Nathan Scott's from here!" Junior said excitedly.

"You know Nathan Scott," she asked with a smile on her face. "Not many people know about him. I mean, he played in the NBA for like, less than a year."

"Yeah, but I'm talking about the NCAA. Lead high scorer practically his whole college career. Seriously, he was probably the next Michael Jordan if he hadn't blown out his knee against the Suns," Junior said excitedly. He admired Nathan Scott, and to be in his home town, possibly sitting in a café that he might have gone to made him drool.

"Do you play basketball? Or are you just an observer?" Jenny asked.

"I play. I was a starter on Varsity at my old high school. It kind sucks because even if I do get on Varsity this year, I'm probably not going to make the starting line up," he said sadly.

"You might," Jenny said. "We do things a little differently around here in Tree Hill. Yeah, Coach has an idea about the players he wants starting, but he's pretty fair. He won't care if you just moved here as long as you bring your 'A' game... and are good."

"Is the team any good? I mean, do you watch them?" At his old school, people watched the basketball games, but they didn't bring the hoards of people the football games brought.

"How do put this. Basketball to Tree Hill is like what football is to Texas. We live and breathe basketball," she explained. "The team's pretty good. We lost a lot of good players last year, but Coach is gunnin' for a state championship this year, so if you're up for it, he'll be pushing really hard."

"So, um... do _you_ go to the games?" he asked trying hard not to seem to eager.

"I'm definitely at the sidelines of every single game Tree Hill's had," she said. "I'm a cheerleader."

Junior's smile faded. He tried not to let her being a cheerleader change his opinion of her, but he couldn't help it. He automatically associated cheerleader with brainless bimbo thanks to the handful from his old school. "Oh."

"Do you have a problem with me being a cheerleader?" she asked offended.

"No," Junior said unconvincingly. "I mean, no, I don't have a problem with _you. _It's just... a cheerleader? You don't really look like a cheerleader to me!"

"I didn't realize there was a prototype for cheerleaders," she spat back. "My mom was a cheerleader. And her mom was a cheerleader."

"I thought you said you didn't want to be anything like your mom," he said confused.

"I said I didn't want to be anything like my _mother_. My mom's a great person who I'd love to be like." At Junior's still confused expression she explained further. "Nikki is my biological mother. But biology doesn't make someone a mom. She's not my mom, but she's my _mother_."

"I'm sorry. About assuming. I'm such an idiot," he said shutting his eyes. "Can we just start over? Hi, I'm Junior. I like to put my foot in my mouth in front of total strangers I just met." He stood up from his chair and stuck his hand out.

"Hi Junior," Jenny said shaking his hand. "I'm Jenny and I'm a cheerleader. I left my slut clothes at home and I'm bleaching my hair tomorrow."

Junior sat down and put his head in his hands. "Ok, I deserved that. Why'd you tell me all that stuff about you anyways? About your mom...s, I mean. You don't even know me."

"Small town. It's kind of hard to keep secrets around here. Besides, you'd find out about it sooner or later."

"Kinda like living in a fish bowl huh?" Junior asked.

"Only if you have things to hide. Do you know what you want to eat? I kinda forgot that I'm supposed to be waiting on you," she said with a chuckled.

Junior, too, had forgotten about his hunger. He couldn't help it, not when he was talking to such an interesting girl. "Can I get a cheeseburger and fries please?"

"Sure," she said and walked away from the table to put the order in.

Junior gazed out the window as he waited for him mom and burger to arrive. It seemed like such a quiet town, definitely different from the bustling streets of L.A. Maybe change was good. Besides, his dad was from here. After losing him in that car accident, he'd felt so lost. Being in Tree Hill made him feel closer to him, even if he was gone. Maybe Tree Hill wasn't so bad.

**Let me know what y'all think! **

**Songs: More Than Anyone by Gavin Degraw & Bubbly by Colbie Caillat**


	2. Chapter 2: Cousins

**Thank you everyone who read and reviewed the story! I'm so glad you all like it. I'm sooo sorry for taking so long with the new chapter. I've been a bit busy, but now that all the busy stuff is out of the way, the next chapter should be out sometime in the next... two weeks I'm gonna say. Let me know what you guys think of the new chapter.**

_**Chapter Two: Cousins**_

As soon as Lucas left Haley's he immediately went to Jake and Peyton's and called an emergency family meeting. His mind was racing over the information he received. Haley and her child, well not so much a child anymore, were back in town. Anthony died. God, how was he going to tell them. He was positive they all thought about Haley and Anthony, but no one mentioned them. Peyton kept in touch with them for about four years after they left, but after she graduated college, she just stopped writing and stopped calling.

Lucas, Brooke, Peyton, Jake, and Nathan held their part in the falling out too. Haley and Anthony made a clear effort to try and mend their friendships, sending them Christmas cards, and a wedding invitation, but they all just ignored them.

"What's going on Luke?" Jake asked when Nathan, who was the last to arrive walked in the door.

"Haley's back," Lucas said with tears in his eyes.

The occupants of the room were stunned into silence. No one knew what to say. Finally, Brooke broke the silence. "Um... how- how is she?" Brooke asked looking towards Nathan who suddenly found something interesting at the hardwood floor of Jake and Peyton's living room.

"I don't know. I yelled at her... I was mean to her and she just wanted..."

"What Luke? Did you see Anthony?" Peyton asked a little excitedly at the prospect of seeing her best friend after so much time had passed.

Lucas grabbed Brooke's hand for strength and wiped away his tears with his other. "Anthony's dead."

Nathan's head shot up. He felt a hammering in his chest as Lucas's words repeated over and over in his head. _Anthony's dead... Anthony's dead... Anthony's dead._

"What?" Peyton whispered brokenly. "He's dead?"

Lucas could only nod his head. He felt Brooke shake beside him, so he grabbed her and held her in his arms.

"Did you know?" Peyton asked Jake.

"No," Jake said shocked. True, they were cousins and lived together since they were five, but ever since Anthony and Haley left for L.A., his parents had also lost touch with Anthony, except for the occasional Christmas and birthday cards.

Nathan looked around at his friends as they comforted one another. _Dead... dead... dead..._ just kept repeating in his mind. He had to get out of there. The room was suddenly suffocating him and he found it hard to breathe, so he ran out of the door. He ran and ran, not knowing where he was going. He ran until his lungs couldn't take it anymore, and found himself at the River Court.

He knew why he was there. It was the last places he saw Anthony. It was the middle of the night and the streets of Tree Hill were deserted. There was a street light illuminating the basketball court and Nathan stood in the middle of it looking out into the river. He remembered the last time they were all there together and recalled how 16 years ago he completely cut Anthony out of his life. Nathan fell to his knees and cried.

He didn't noticed Brooke, who had followed after him when she noticed he was gone. She sank down beside him and held him with tears streaming down her own face. "It's okay, I got you," she whispered into his ear.

"This is the last place any of us saw him Brooke," he hiccupped. "And now he's gone."

"I know," she said with a shaky voice. "I know."

As they both sat there, on the concrete surface of the River Court, Nathan was transported to the last time he saw Anthony. God, how he wished things could have been different.

_--_

_Hours after Haley revealed she was pregnant, Anthony sent Nathan a text asking him to meet at the River Court. Nathan got out of his SUV and saw Anthony sitting at one of the picnic tables beside the basketball court._

"_You have some fucking nerve, you know that?" Nathan said as he violently slammed his car door._

"_I just wanna talk Nate."_

"_There's nothing you can say that I want to hear."_

"_So why'd you come?" Anthony asked. When Nathan didn't respond, Anthony continued, "You came because I am still your best friend."_

"_Best friend?" Nathan asked bitterly. "**Best friends** don't steal each other's girlfriends. What do you want Anthony?"_

"_I want you to hit me, yell at me! Do something!" Anthony took a deep breath and looked Nathan straight in the eyes. "I can only imagine how pissed off you are at me… but we've been best friends forever Nate. I want to know that someday, even if it's not for thirty years, you're going to forgive me. That I'm still your best friend."_

_Nathan looked him in the eyes and scoffed. "No."_

"_Please Nate. We can get through this… we've been through a whole lot more. You were there for me when my parents died, offering to share yours. I was there for you with the whole Lucas and Dan thing." Anthony hung his head before he mentioned the last thing they went through, "even falling in love with the same girl."_

"_Well it's a good thing you're the only one still in love with her," Nathan replied._

"_Don't act like you don't love her anymore. Don't do that to her."_

"_I broke up with her. I'm not in love with Haley James," Nathan said lying through his teeth. He was still in love with her and it **killed** him that she married Anthony._

"_So why are you so angry with me? With **her**? You guys are broken up and according to you, you're not in love with her. So why are you so angry?"_

"_We were broken up for what? A minute before you screwed her? Before you **married **her?! God, some best friend you are, huh?"_

"_I'm not going to apologize for loving her. And I am your best friend. I've been your best friend through everything. I fought for you two, to keep you together."_

"_**HOW?** How did you **fight** to keep Haley and I together? By fucking her?" Nathan spat out brutally._

"_Damn it Nathan! You didn't see her. She was so... **broken**. I did what I had to do." Anthony said trying to make him understand. "You know I've always loved her. C'mon Nate. This is me and you."_

_Nathan scoffed bitterly. "Maybe you should have though of that before you fucked her."_

"_It wasn't like that."_

"_THEN HOW WAS IT?!" Nathan screamed. "Explain to me how you could steal **my** girlfriend and think it would be okay."_

"_She's not your girlfriend Nate," Anthony whispered._

"_No, she's your **wife**." Nathan paced back and forth in front of Anthony trying to control his anger. "GOD! I went to you Anthony. I went to you before I even thought of Haley like that. I went to you and asked for your goddamn permission to date Haley... to **like** her! I went to you because you were my best friend and you wanna know something? I would have backed off if you told me 'no'. Because you were like my brother and I would **never** let anything come between us."_

"_Then don't! It doesn't have to be like this Nate. I'll do anything Nate. Just tell me what to do," Anthony pleaded._

"_Leave her. Leave her alone. Go to California, but leave Haley. Divorce her. Tell her you're not ready for a baby. I don't care what you do but leave Haley."_

_Anthony hung his head. He promised Haley he would be there for her and he wasn't going to back down. Unless… "What about the baby?"_

"_She has her parents here. Lucas, Brooke, Peyton, and Jake. They're all going to be around."_

_Funny, Anthony thought, that Nathan mentioned everyone but himself. The one person that would have made him walk away. "What about you? Will you be there for Haley?"_

_Nathan thought the question over. Could he really be there for Haley knowing she was carrying someone else's child and not his? "She's not my problem. The baby's not my problem."_

"_Damnit Nathan!" Anthony said angrily. "Forget for a second that she's pregnant! What if there was no baby and I still married her? If I walked away from her would you promise to take care of her? To be with her?"_

"_She made her choice when she married you," was all Nathan replied._

"_I'm not going to leave her Nathan. Not unless I know that you'll take care of her… baby or not."_

"_Then we're done here. You and me... me and Haley... we're done. You're both dead to me. Have a nice fucking life together." With that said he walked away and never looked back_

_--_

"I said he was dead to me." he said looking up at her. "I hated him."

"I don't think you ever hated him."

Nathan laughed bitterly. "That's the thing Brooke, I hated him. I really truly hated him Brooke. All he wanted was to know that eventually I'd forgive him. And I did Brooke. I forgave him. But he'll never know. Why didn't we - why couldn't we - ?" There were so many questions, so many things they could have done differently.

"I don't know," Brooke answered with a sad shrug of her shoulders. There had only been one other time she had seen Nathan this broken and that was when he found out Haley was pregnant. She took his face in her hands, much like she had done the last time, and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. "The funeral's on Sunday."

Nathan gave a smile of thanks. "The funeral's here?"

"Yeah. They're shipping his body here. God, that sounds so morbid."

"I'll be there," Nathan said instantly.

Brooke smiled at her friend. "I knew you would be. Come on. I'll take you home." She stood up and offered a hand to Nathan.

Nathan took the hand and gave Brooke a hug. "Thanks Brooke. I needed that. But I'm just gonna take a walk. Clear my head."

"She's staying at her old house," Brooke said knowingly. "They moved back here."

"Thanks Brooke." Nathan was once again left alone at the River Court. This was a place that held so many good memories, and a few bad ones that outweighed the good. This was the place where he and Lucas finally decided to become _brothers._ Where he and Anthony would spend their Saturdays, as kids, horsing around. Where he first met, and fell in love with Haley. Nathan turned away from the River Court, knowing that he could never look at it the same way. It wasn't _their_ River Court anymore. Not without Anthony. Although they hadn't seen or heard from each other in 16 years, knowing that he was still alive was all Nathan needed. But now that he was dead, everything changed. Every place that held some memory of him became tainted with the fact that Nathan lost 16 years with him.

Nathan found himself in front of Haley's childhood house. The memories came tumbling back. He'd been back to Tree Hill for four years, but in those four years he had avoided any route that would pass this house - which wasn't an easy feat. He contemplated knocking, to give his condolences, but decided against it. It was late and she was probably sleeping. There was also the issue of her kid, who he didn't even know if it was a boy or girl.

He was going to turn back but he heard the front door creak. The porch light, which illuminated Haley, made her look like an angel.

Haley heard something outside of her house and decided to check it out. She knew it was stupid and dangerous, but something in her gut told her to go out side. She was shocked to find Nathan standing there, just staring at the house. "Nathan."

She whispered his name so softly that he wasn't sure if he was imagining it or not. "Hi," he whispered back. "I heard about..."

"I guess Lucas told you," she said sadly.

"I'm sorry," Nathan said sincerely. Tears were forming in his eyes, and he hoped because of the darkness that Haley wouldn't see. She might not have seen the tears, but she heard the sadness in his voice.

Haley nodded her head with tears in her eyes.

"I'll be there," Nathan said referring to the funeral.

"He would have liked that," Haley replied.

"I should go. It's getting late."

Although their conversation was brief, Haley saw it as a stepping stone in the right direction. She had come back to Tree Hill to make things right, for Anthony, Junior and Nathan. But she couldn't tell him about Junior now. Not with the funeral a couple of days away. She promised herself that she would do it as soon as the funeral was over. Yes. After the funeral.

--

The next morning Nathan let himself into the Jaglieski home. They all had keys to each others homes, but the most often used was Jake and Peyton's house key. He set the muffins from Karen's café on the table and helped himself to a cup of coffee. Peyton woke up first, and wasn't surprised to see Nathan in her kitchen eating a muffin.

"Hey," Peyton said as she grabbed a mug. "You okay?"

"No. I'm not," Nathan said shaking his head.

Peyton took a seat beside him and placed her hand on his.

"What about you?" Nathan asked, remembering that Anthony and Peyton had once been close.

"I woke up this morning and everything was normal. I brushed my teeth and hopped in the shower. And somewhere between shampooing and rinsing I realized that if I were to write down every important thing that he missed, he wouldn't know any of it. If I wanted to call him just to hear his voice he wouldn't be there. He's really gone. And then I think about how I haven't seen or talked to him in more than a decade... a _decade_..." she said with tears in her eyes and a shaky voice.

Nathan pulled her into a hug. It was hard on all of them. "I'm so sorry Peyton."

"It wasn't your fault. We all made our choices," Peyton said reassuringly.

"Good morning everyone!" Jenny said cheerfully as she walked into the kitchen.

Peyton quickly wiped her tears and smiled at her daughter. "Morning Jen."

Jenny went over to Nathan and gave him a big hug. "And how's my favorite non-related uncle doing this lovely morning?"

Nathan narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Jenny. The usually cranky morning person had become a bubbly person. Something was up. "Jenny," he said skeptically.

"It's a great day. I can just feel it's going to be a great day."

"Ok what do you want?" Nathan asked. Peyton shook her head, smiling at the two and went upstairs to wake Jake up.

"Fine. There's this boy-"

"No," Nathan said before she could finish.

"What? You haven't even heard the whole thing."

"You're being extra nice to me because you want to parade me around some boy just to impress him. NO. No boys Jenny. EVER." Jenny was Jake, Lucas and Nathan's little princess. They were all extra protective of her.

Jenny took a seat that had previously been occupied by Peyton and slouched in the chair with her arms folded over her chest. "Yes, but I don't want to _parade_ you around. And I don't need _you_ to impress a boy," she said mockingly. "He just moved here. And he seemed really down, even though he was totally flirting with me. And I know meeting you would totally brighten his day."

"No," Nathan said trying hard not to back down. When it came to Jenny, he was usually putty in her hands, but he had to put his foot down on this subject. Jenny and boys just did not mix, at least in his, Jake's and Lucas's eyes.

"Oh come on Uncle Nate! I really like this guy."

"How could you really like this guy. You've know him for what? A minute?"

Jenny sighed dramatically. She knew she wasn't going to win this one. "Fine. But, could you just go to the River Court today and meet him? I won't go with you, and you don't have to say that you're sorta related to me, but could you just go anyway?"

"Why?" Nathan asked.

"Because... I just want to make him feel better. And meeting you would make him feel better," Jenny said.

"Do you like this boy?" Nathan asked. When she nodded her head, he said, "Then I'll go meet him, and _if_ I approve, I'll put in a good word for you."

"Really?" Jenny said brightly.

"Yes," Nathan said hating the idea of Jenny getting excited over a boy.

"You're the best!" She got up and gave him a huge hug, which made Nathan's day.

"What time was he going to be there? And what's his name?" Nathan asked.

"He said he'd check it out around 10-ish. And his name's Junior."

--

Junior was throwing free throws on the court when Nathan showed up. He watched Junior play around for awhile, noticing that the kid was good. He just hoped he would be good enough for Jenny.

"Nice shot," Nathan called out as he walked up to the court. Junior turned to face him and instantly dropped the ball. He stood there with his mouth open, just staring at Nathan. Nathan smiled.

"Holy shit," Junior said when he realized that Nathan Scott was there, and told him he had a nice shot.

_The kid swears. Nope, not good enough, _Nathan thought.

"You-you-you're Nathan... Scott. _The_ Nathan Scott. You're a Duke legend. You were MVP your junior and senior years. You were the lead high scorer practically your whole college career. _Holy shit!" _Junior stuttered out.

Nathan chuckled at the kid. "Nice to meet you too..." He knew what his name was, but he didn't want to tell Junior that. Not yet anyway.

"Um... shit... what's my name... crap." Junior was definitely star struck. Standing in front of him was his freaking idol. The man he looked up to in terms of basketball and he couldn't remember his own damn name. "JUNIOR!" he said triumphantly. "My name's Junior."

Nathan took the time to look at Junior. There was something familiar about him that he couldn't quite place.

"Um. Mr. Scott," Junior began. "I have to ask you something and it's going to sound stupid but um... my parents told me they knew you from high school, but I think they were lying because they know how much I lo- look up to you and I just wanted to know if they were lying or not."

Nathan smiled at Junior. "It's Nathan. Who are your parents?"

"Haley James-Jaglieski and Anthony Jaglieski," Junior said.

Nathan suddenly found it harder and harder to breathe. He was Haley and Anthony's son. Piece by piece, Junior's facial features became clear to him - it was all Haley. He looked like the male version of Haley, except his eyes. They weren't brown like Haley's or Anthony's, but blue. Something nagged at him as he stared into this kid's eyes. Something he couldn't quite put his finger on.

"Yeah, I kinda knew them in high school," Nathan replied shaking the thoughts from his head. "Are you going to try out for the team?"

"Yeah," Junior replied. "I think so."

"Good. My brother's the coach and I help out sometimes. I guess I'll see you at tryouts." Nathan had to get out of there. Knowing Haley and Anthony had a kid was one thing, but actually seeing him, in the flesh, was a whole other thing. And Nathan just wasn't ready to deal with that. So he left. He got in his car and drove.

--

Nathan reached Brooke's apartment and practically ran inside. He let himself in and found Brooke in her office. He walked over to her couch and plopped himself down.

"Aren't you supposed to be meeting Lucas?" Brooke asked not looking up from the drawings of her latest fashion design.

Nathan sighed. "I met him today. His name's Anthony Junior. He goes by Junior. I can see a lot of Haley in him. But his eyes... they're not hers, or Anthony's. They're blue. Like Anthony's mom."

Brooke abandoned her sketches and made her way to Nathan's side. She sat down on the couch beside him and faced him. "I'm sorry."

"It's not like I could have avoided it ya know. He exists. He's here. He plays basketball."

"You okay?" She asked comfortingly rubbing his back. "With the whole... _thing._" Thing meaning Haley being back. Thing meaning Anthony Junior. Thing meaning... Anthony was gone. There were a lot of _things_ and he wasn't okay with any of them.

"No," Nathan whispered. "16 years ago I wished... God, I wished that the baby she was carrying was mine. So I could keep her. So she would always belong to me. So I could go off and be a big basketball star and still know that she was waiting at home for me. Selfish huh?"

"Yeah… that's pretty damn selfish," she replied not even attempting to sugarcoat the ugly truth. Brooke had no doubt that Nathan loved Haley with all his heart in high school, but she wasn't sure he knew _how_ to love her. And that was evident in what he revealed to her. He wanted to follow his dreams and experience everything he could while Haley waited around for him. "And now?"

Nathan sighed heavily. "If I say that I love her then I'm a jackass. Her husband, who was my best friend just died. But if I say that I don't love her... than I'm a jackass _and _liar. Because I do love her Brooke. I think a part of me is always going love her."

Brooke nodded her head in understanding. All through college and up until now, Nathan had never dated anyone seriously. Brooke always suspected that he was either waiting for Haley to come back to him, or he was constantly comparing those other girls to Haley. No matter how you put it, Haley James would always be the one for Nathan Scott. "So where'd you see him?"

"The River Court."

Brooke looked at Nathan, puzzled. The River Court held their best memories, but that one memory of the last time all seven of them were there together kept all of them from ever going back there. "What were you doing at the River Court?"

"Jenny met him last night at Karen's and told me he idolizes me." Nathan scoffed. "Ironic huh?"

"A little creepy," Brooke said.

"Yeah... Jenny wanted me to -" Nathan paused and remember that Jenny and Junior didn't know they were related. "Shit," he whispered shutting his eyes hoping this was a bad dream. A part of him was glad that Jenny wouldn't be able to date Junior, but a bigger part of him didn't want to break her heart by telling her they were related. He'd do anything to keep those beautiful brown eyes from crying.

"What?"

"Jenny. She met Junior at Karen's last night and kind of has a crush on him." Brooke visibly winced and Nathan nodded his head. "I should go... tell Jake and Peyton... and Haley." Nathan kissed the top of Brooke's head and left her house to go deliver the bad news.

--

Nathan knocked on Haley's door. He had just come from Jake and Peyton's and told them the situation about Jenny and Junior. He wasn't there when they broke the news to Jenny, but he was sure it was going to hurt her.

"Nathan," Haley said surprised when she opened the door. "Wha - what are you doing here?"

"Can I come in?" Nathan asked.

Haley shook her head as if to test herself if Nathan was really there. "Yeah, yeah. Come in." She stepped to the side and let him in. Instead of going into the living room, like he had so many years ago, he stayed in the hallway by the staircase. "So..."

"So," Nathan parroted.

"Not to be rude or anything... but... was there something you came here for?" Haley asked tentatively.

"I'm here to talk about your son."

Haley's heart started beating wildly in her chest. _He knows, he knows,_ she thought. "Uh... wha- what about him?"

"I met him today at the River Court."

Haley's breathing picked up. This was it. The moment she had been dreading since she moved back to Tree Hill. He was going to yell at her, _scream_ at her for what she did. _Hate her_ even more. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. He seems like a great kid." Nathan suddenly remember why he met Junior and cursed under his breath. "Look, Jake had a baby right around the time you did. He had a daughter and her name's Jenny."

"Let me guess: really cool cheerleader from the café?" Haley asked.

"Yeah. She likes him. It's going to hurt her to find out they're related but they need to know now. Before they get any closer."

Haley felt like the scum of the earth She could easily rectify the situation and tell Nathan that Junior was his, but it wasn't the right time. Not yet. "I'll talk to Junior."

--

Junior came home after hours of playing at the River Court. He'd been disappointed that Jenny didn't show up, but couldn't help but be excited that he got to meet his idol, Nathan Scott.

"Mom, I'm home," Junior called out as he opened the front door.

Haley came bounding down the stairs, looking miserable. "Hey Jun," she said a little tearfully.

"You okay Mom?" Junior asked.

"Yeah, I was just unpacking and I found some albums."

And just like that his good mood had been deflated. He felt guilty that he was happy and living when his dad hadn't even been buried yet. "Oh," he said sadly.

"Where'd you go?" Haley asked.

"That girl I met yesterday, Jenny, told me about the River Court so I went to check it out." Junior went to the kitchen to get a drink and Haley followed.

"About Jenny," Haley began. She took a seat at the table and motioned for Junior to do the same. "You know how your dad and I are from here?"

"Yeah," Junior replied as to took a sip of milk.

"We have family here. Your dad had this cousin who he was really close with, Jake. He actually lived with Jake and his parents after your grandparents died."

"Ok. How come I haven't met Jake then? Or better yet, how come I haven't met Jake's parents... who'd kind be like my grandparents?" Junior asked.

"We kind of lost touch with him. But Jake had a daughter around the time that I had you and we didn't know about it."

"Okay," Junior asked. "Are we going to go meet them?"

"Yeah... we're actually going to go over to Jake's house for dinner tomorrow. But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about. Jake's daughter, she's... well, she would be your age and -"

Junior looked sadly down at the table and nodded his head in understanding. "It's Jenny isn't it?"

"I'm sorry honey," she said. And she really was sorry. But she couldn't let anybody know about Junior's real father just yet. Not yet. But soon.

"It's fine," Junior said trying not to make it a big deal. "I just met her. It's not like I _like_ her you know? It's just weird because I was flirting with her at the café. And she my cousin... or family member."

"Jun, I'm -"

"Don't," Junior said painfully. "It's no big deal. I'm going to go unpack my room." Junior left the kitchen and went up to his room. He flopped down on his bed and shielded his arm with his eyes. They were _related_. God! He was related to the one girl that...

He thought about it for a minute. That what? That he liked? That he could lo-. No, he wasn't going to go there. They were related and that's all they were ever going to be. All they ever _could_ be.


	3. Chapter 3

**So, it's been awhile huh? I don't want to give up on this fic because I'm having a good time with these characters and their secrets from each other. Looking at the ideas I have for this fic I should have titled it Sercrets instead of Apologies. Meh... So this chapter is a little short, but I guess it's better than nothing right? I wanted to write more, but I thought this was a good place to end this part.**

**I'm REALLY sorry about the crappy updating that I've been doing *cough*none*cough*. I'm trying not to give up on this fic, even though I'm upset at the current status of the show I once loved and adored. But just bear with me a bit. I can't promise frequent updates, but I can promise you that I WILL finish this fic! Thanks again for sticking with me. And to ease everyone's mind, it WILL end in happily for all my couples, even though right now it seems like there's no returning from the dark side. With that said, things are going to get pretty bad before they get any worse. Haley HAS been keeping Nathan's son from him!**

_**Chapter Three: Life Happened**_

Haley heard a knock at her door. She contemplated whether or not she should open the door because she wasn't expecting anyone and really wasn't up for visitors. She definitely wasn't prepared to see Brooke Davis through the peephole.

It had been two days since Haley returned to Tree Hill and this had been the first time she had seen anyone other than Lucas and Nathan.

"Hey Haley," Brooke greeted when Haley opened the door.

"Brooke," Haley said in surprise. "Um… what are you – what are you doing here?"

"I thought maybe we should talk."

Haley stood in the doorway dumbfounded. She made no move to let Brooke in, but a moment later what Brooke said registered in her brain and she stepped aside to let her in. "Sorry," Haley apologized as she led Brooke into the living room.

"So," Haley began.

Brooke laughed nervously. "This is really awkward."

"Yeah, it is," Haley said, laughing alone with her.

"It shouldn't be right?" Brooke asked. "We used to hang out. We were pretty good friends."

Haley shrugged her shoulders. "Things change." Looking at Brooke, noticing that her friend wasn't the same person from high school, she couldn't help but realize how true those words rang. Brooke used to be this bubbly girl who was so full of life and energy. She was the epitome of a cheerleader, but the woman in her living room wasn't Brooke. No, the woman in her living room was a calmer version, almost sad version of her old friend. Her eyes gave her away.

"I just want to say I'm sorry… for everything. Things could have been different, you know?"

Haley sighed. Things could have been different, but then where would they all be? She couldn't deny that having their close group of friends would have been great, but what would have become of her and Anthony? She loved her husband, she still did, but would there have been a Haley and Anthony if she told Nathan from the beginning about Junior? "It could have. But I can't regret the past 16 years. I got 16 years of blissful marriage to a guy I loved, and that's more than most people. I guess you have to take the good with the bad."

"You really loved him huh?" Brooke asked wistfully.

"I did. I do still love him. It started out as friends, but it grew into something so beautiful."

"Then I'm glad for you," Brooke said sincerely.

"Thank you," Haley said. "And I get why you were so angry at first, with me and Anthony. We both understood."

Brooke shook her head. "I don't think you guys did. Do you want to know one of the best kept secrets of our group?"

'_Junior is Nathan's son?'_ Haley imagined saying, but instead nodded her head, urging Brooke to go on.

"Nathan and I have known each other since birth. Long before there was a Brooke and Peyton, or a Nathan and Anthony, and probably even before a Lucas and Haley, there was a Brooke and Nathan."

"Really?" Haley asked shocked. "You and Nathan?"

Brooke nodded. "I guess it came with having parents that attend the same country club. At one point, I think when we were about 13, we had an arranged marriage."

Haley tried to imagine what it would have been like if Brooke and Nathan ended up together, but every time she tried, she would always imagine one killing the other. "But… ever since elementary, you guys have been at each other's throats!"

Brooke chuckled at the memories of all the times her and Nathan have butted heads over everything and anything. "How's your relationship with your brothers and sisters?"

"Well when we're not fighting we're either sleeping - " Realization dawned on Haley and she smiled at Brooke. "You were like brother and sister."

"Yeah. We grew up together. And when you hurt him… I just, I've never seen him so broken. It almost killed him Haley."

Tears sprang to Haley's eyes. She never meant to hurt Nathan. "And you knew what it felt like," Haley finished.

Brooke nodded her head with tears in her eyes. "It rips your soul out Haley. Not because the person you love hurt you, but because your best friend does."

"Oh Brooke," Haley said sympathetically. Was this the reason Brooke was so sad? Because she never truly let go of the hurt Peyton and Lucas caused her in high school?

Brooke shook her head smiling through her tears. She didn't want the sympathy. It happened, it sucked, but they've all moved on… sorta. "We should just leave the past where it is, and just look to the future."

"Yeah?" Haley asked. Her only wish was that Anthony was still alive to be apart of that future.

"With Anthony gone, it just makes you realize some things aren't worth holding on to. Like anger," Brooke explained.

Haley pulled Brooke into her arms and held on tight. "I've missed you Tigger," she whispered into her ear.

"I've missed you too Tu - Haley," Brooke said correcting herself. "And if you need anything, I'll be here for you."

"Thank you," Haley replied. She gave Brooke one last squeeze before she let her go. "So, you and Lucas have been together for a long time."

"Yup. Eight years now."

"Married eight years huh? How are you liking it?"

"Um… no, we've been _dating_ for eight years. We're not um… married," Brooke said uncomfortably.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I just assumed since… you guys were um… dating at the end of high school," Haley replied equally uncomfortably.

"High school relationships don't last long Haley. You should know that."

"But you guys are still together," Haley countered.

"We're not the same people from high school. Not anymore," Brooke said. As soon as the words were out of her mouth she remembered the moment everything started to change.

_*Flashback*_

"_I have to tell you something," Peyton said to Brooke. It was just before winter break of their sophomore year and Brooke and Peyton were roommates._

_Brooke had just come back from a date with Lucas and was on cloud nine. They talked about the future, more importantly, __**their**__ future together. "What's up P. Sawyer?" Brooke asked, happily skipping to Peyton's bed and taking a seat beside her._

_Peyton grabbed Brooke's hands in her won and said, "You're my best friend Brooke. You know that right?"_

"_Yeah," Brooke replied slowly. "You're my best friend too."_

"_And I'm so glad that we got over the… thing… from high school and are finally in a good place. I want to be honest with you."_

"_Okaaay," Brooke said, wondering what had Peyton so spooked._

"_I'm still in love with Lucas," Peyton whispered._

_Brooke let go of Peyton's hands and started pacing. "I don't think I heard you right. I thought I heard you say you were in love with __**my**__ boyfriend. But I must have heard you wrong, right? Because __**my best**__ friend would __**never**__ be in love with my boyfriend."_

"_I'm sorry Brooke," Peyton said sincerely._

"_You're sorry?" Brooke parroted. "God Peyton! I thought you were done being a backstabbing two faced bitch!"_

"_I'm no backstabbing you, I swear! I'm not going after Lucas," Peyton promised._

"_No?" Brooke asked not believing her. "Then why did you tell me you're __**still**__ in love with him?"_

"_I just wanted to be a good friend and be honest with you!"_

_Brooke glared at Peyton. "You're not a good friend Peyton. A good friend wouldn't go after her best friend's boyfriend… TWICE!"_

"_I'm not going after him Brooke. I promise!" By now Peyton was fully crying and all Brooke wanted to do was slap her. But she wouldn't. She just had to get out of there._

"_Right. Like you didn't go after him the last time." Brooke walked out of the room and slammed the door behind her. She didn't know where to go so she ran to her car._

_When she got to her car she broke down. She cried because once again her best friend hurt her. It wasn't even about Lucas anymore. It was about her friendship not meaning as much to Peyton as it did to her._

_Brooke slammed her palms on the steering wheel in frustration. She had to go see Nathan so she started her car and made her way to Duke._

_By the time she got there it was 10 at night. She called Nathan from outside his building and a second later he appeared in his shorts and t-shirt to let her in. He noticed the tear tracks on her face but didn't say anything._

_When they got to his room he sat her on his bed, grabbed his desk char and sat in front of her. "What's wrong Brooke," Nathan asked concerned._

"_I had a date with Lucas. We talked about the future. He said that he pictured us married with three kids. We were living in Tree Hill," Brooke said stoically. "I pictured it too."_

"_Then what's wrong?" Nathan asked using the pads of his thumbs to wipe away the tears that had fallen from her eyes._

"_I went home after that and Peyton told me she's still in love with Lucas," Brooke explained. "Why is she doing this Nathan? Again? Why now?"_

_Nathan sighed sympathetically. "I don't know Brooke. I really don't know. But what I do know is how much Lucas is in love with __**you**__. He loves you Brooke. So much. Not Peyton."_

"_Really?" Brooke asked._

"_I promise," Nathan said reassuringly. "Lucas loves you. Peyton being in love with Lucas doesn't change his feelings for you."_

'_**Except it changes everything'**__, Brooke thought. She gave Nathan a hug to thank him for the pep talk. He always knew what to say to make her feel better. "Thanks Nate."_

"_Anytime. It's getting pretty late and I don't want you driving at night. You can sleep in my bed and I'll sleep in Josh's," he said referring to his absent roommate._

_*End Flashback*_

"Brooke?" Haley said shaking Brooke out of her memory. "You alright? You kinda spaced out there for a minute."

Brooke flashed Haley a small smile. "Just remembering college."

"How _was_ UNC?" Haley asked.

"I went to UNC for two years. I transferred to a fashion school in New York junior year," Brooke explained and was instantly transported back to the day she found out about an amazing offer for an internship.

_*Flashback*_

_It'd been months since Peyton confessed that she was still in love with Lucas. They talked things over, with many tears, apologies from both ends, and loads of ice cream. Peyton promised that she wouldn't let her feelings for Lucas get between Brooke and Lucas's relationship. Brooke didn't admit it out loud, but she was skeptical of Peyton's promise and decided to keep her guard up. Peyton asked Brooke not to say anything to Lucas and Brooke agreed._

_Brooke and Lucas's relationship was going perfectly, but Brooke insecurities kept resurfacing. The thought of Peyton and Lucas together kept nagging at her. What if Lucas knew that Peyton was in love with him? Would he leave her for Peyton? She'd never find the answer because Peyton was adamant about Lucas never knowing, which was fine with Brooke._

_Peyton was another issue. She thought she hid it well, but Brooke saw right through Peyton's façade. Brooke saw the longing looks Peyton would often give when she saw Brooke and Lucas together. She saw the lingering stares in Lucas's direction. Again, more questions arose in Brooke's mind. What if Lucas and Peyton __**were**__ meant to be together, but they never got their chance? The first time Peyton and Lucas tried to have a relationship they were doomed from the start. No matter what they felt about each other at the time, they honestly couldn't pursue a relationship when practically all their friends alienated them because of their being together. What if there would always be something brewing between Lucas and Peyton that they never got to explore?_

_As if some sign of fate, Brooke received some exciting, and life changing, news when she went to see the career counselor at school._

"_There's an opening next year at FIDM NY. Vogue has offered you one of five internships for next year in New York as well!" Mrs. Dunn, the counselor, explained excitedly._

"_Vogue Magazine?" Brooke practically shouted. "How? What? Anyone would __**kill**__ for that internship! How did __**I **__get it?"_

"_I submitted some of your sketches to them and they loved it!" Mrs. Dunn explained._

"_But… but they get like millions of applications, with sketches. And I heard they only really consider people with an in at the magazine."_

"_I'll be honest with you Brooke," Mrs. Dunn said. "They do get a lot of applicants and they only look at submissions from someone on the inside. I have a good friend who works at the magazine. I told her about you and gave her your application with the sketches."_

_Brooke's excitement deflated. "Thank you Mrs. Dunn. But I don't think I can take the offer," Brooke said regretfully. She wanted this… __**really**__ wanted this, but she wanted to earn it for herself._

"_Brooke. I know it seems like I got this internship for you, but it was all you Brooke. You're a talented girl. __**Thousands**__ of girls across the country apply for the internship, and __**hundreds**__ of those were recommended from someone on the inside. Those hundreds are the only ones who have a __**real**__ chance. I only got you the chance for consideration. You're talent got you the internship," Mrs. Dunn explained. "Think it over before you give me an answer."_

_Brooke left the counselor's office more confused than she had ever been in her life. This was a chance of a lifetime and she would kick herself if she didn't take it. But taking this meant leaving North Carolina, Lucas, and practically her whole life._

_*End Flashback*_

"So how was New York?" Haley asked.

"Huh?" Brooke asked in a daze.

"New York," Haley repeated. "How was it?"

Brooke smiled sadly. "It was everything I wanted it to be and more." She looked at her watch and realized she was late. "I gotta go Haley. I have a phone conference with offices in New York and L.A. about the new line. But um… tomorrow, we're um… all having dinner at the café. It's sort of a Friday night ritual. You should come, and bring… um…"

"Junior," Haley finished.

"Right. No one told me his name. But you guys should come," Brooke said.

"Sure, we'd love to." Haley walked Brooke to the door and hugged her goodbye. "Thanks for stopping by."

"Anytime you need me, I'm here for you. Just give me a call."

"Thanks Tigger." Haley swore she saw a quick flash of the old Brooke in her eyes at the mention of Tigger, but as soon it came, it was gone. Before Brooke could leave, Haley stopped her. "What happened to you?"

"What do you mean?" Brooke asked.

"What happened to Tigger?"

That was a loaded question. What happened was Brooke took the internship in New York and moved once she took her last final in sophomore year. What happened was she broke up with the one guy she'd ever really loved. What happened was a week after she moved, and after she broke up with Lucas, he and Peyton got together. What happened was she met and dated a great guy in New York. What happened was she got engaged, and was genuinely _happy._

Brooke sighed deeply. "Life happened," she said cryptically. "And it sucked."

**Let me know what you all think, even if it's to curse me out for not updating in over a year - ALMOST TWO YEARS? I AM horrible!**

** And Brooke... oh there's a LOT more about why Brooke is... well, not Brooke anymore. That'll come later. **


End file.
